This invention relates to the detection, in a patient, of a pathological condition known to produce an immune response.
It is known that a number of pathological conditions, or diseases, cause the production of an immune response in the body. A variety of pathological conditions, for example, produce antibodies in the serum which are specific to a particular pathological condition and bind to antigens associated with that condition to help to protect the body from the onslaught of the pathological condition, and in some cases, to provide immunity against possible future onslaughts.
It is also known that the presence or absence of a particular pathological condition in a patient can frequently be detected by testing the patient's serum for the presence of antibodies, or of an abnormal number of antibodies, to an antigen associated with the pathological condition, the antibodies being detectable by the attachment thereto of the counterpart antigens.
While detection and diagnostic methods based on the presence of antibodies in serum are quite useful, their usefulness is limited by the time that is required before antibodies are formed in the serum in sufficient quantity for effective detection so that the methods cannot be used for diagnosis in the early stages of the disease, which early stages are frequently critical for effective treatment.
In addition, there are certain pathological conditions which produce an immune response but do not produce large amounts of antibodies readily detectable in the serum. Such conditions cannot be diagnosed or detected by serological testing.